This Old House S47 E12: An 1896 Queen Anne, a Center Chimney Problem, and the Tonal Whiplash of Elective Renovation

A Different Kind of Project

If the Carolina Comeback finale was the season's emotional crescendo, Episode 12 is the deliberate exhale. We've traveled from Western North Carolina to Needham, Massachusetts — a leafy suburb southwest of Boston — and the stakes are, shall we say, different. Nobody's house floated away. No one clung to gutters while propane tanks drifted past. Instead, homeowners Liz and Patrick have an 1896 Queen Anne Victorian with a kitchen that's too small and a floor plan that doesn't suit their family.

After eleven episodes of "rebuild or lose everything," the tonal shift to "we'd like a bigger island" is genuinely jarring — and the show knows it. This is elective renovation. Chosen discomfort. The kind of project This Old House was built on, and returning to it feels like coming home to familiar territory. Sometimes a house's biggest problem is that it's 130 years old and never had an open floor plan. That's okay too.

Meet the House

The 1896 Queen Anne is a classic New England Victorian: multiple gables, decorative trim, original shingles hiding under aluminum siding (Tom peeks and confirms — they're still there), and a floor plan that reflects 1890s living, where every room had a door and privacy was paramount. Liz and Patrick want to modernize without losing the character — the eternal This Old House balancing act.

The wish list:

Remove the center chimney (it's eating square footage on every floor)
Open the wall between kitchen and living room
Add a rear addition for more kitchen space
Add an island that flows between rooms
Update bathrooms
Reduce exterior maintenance (Patrick's priority — smart man)
More yard space for the kids

That center chimney is the first major decision point. In Asheville, chimneys were 3,000-pound anchors that saved houses. In North Asheville, a damaged chimney became a wood-burning insert. Here in Needham, the chimney is simply in the way. Chimneys: the season's recurring character, playing a different role in every act.

Richard's Good News

In a pleasant surprise, Richard heads to the basement and delivers the news every homeowner on a budget wants to hear: the existing HVAC system is in solid shape. Unlike most This Old House projects where the mechanical systems are a gut-and-replace situation, Liz and Patrick can keep most of what they have with targeted upgrades. The third floor will need additional insulation to help the attic air handler run more efficiently — a callback to our Episode 2 discussion about attic HVAC placement and Episode 5's air sealing, though in Massachusetts the concerns are more about heat loss than humidity.

The Brick Walkway Salvage

To make room for the new rear addition, the existing brick walkway has to go. But Jenn, Mark McCullough, and the homeowners' son Brendan carefully remove the bricks for reuse in a future backyard patio. This is the kind of sustainable-by-default approach that older construction encourages: those bricks are over a century old, well-weathered, and have far more character than anything you'd buy new. Reusing them saves money, reduces waste, and preserves the home's patina.

With the walkway cleared, Charlie Silva (who's leading this project — his house now) and Tom remove the existing deck to prep for the addition. The work has officially begun.

DIY Confidence Scale: Episode 12

Brick walkway removal/salvage: Beginner-Friendly. Pry, stack, repeat. It's manual labor but technically simple. A flat pry bar and some patience are all you need.
Deck removal: Intermediate. Mostly a demo job, but watch for nails, screws, and structural connections to the house. A reciprocating saw is your best friend here.
Center chimney removal: Absolutely Not DIY. Structural implications, potential asbestos in mortar, massive weight, and the risk of destabilizing the house. This is the most "hire a professional" task of the entire season.

Additional Resources

Next time: the chimney comes down (from the roof to the first floor — it's as dramatic as it sounds), Kevin meets the architect for the new layout, and Charlie preps for the foundation pour. Chimney Watch replaces Piper Watch — different coast, same column.